This is the second independent report on Open Access received from Professor Adam Tickell, Chair of the UK Open Access Co-ordination Group. It presents a refreshed evidence base, and answers specific questions requested by the Minister for Universities and Science, Jo Johnson, in November 2017.

This report provides an overview of the benefits of Open Access publishing and details the ways in which the United Kingdom has been at the forefront of the Open Access movement. Over half of research publications can be read for free online and it is anticipated that this will rise, such that the Government’s aspiration that all publicly-funded research is available in this form if the current funding is maintained.